282 



EEPOKT 1893. 



The maximnm was 130 hours in July, being the highest for July hitherto 

 recorded, and the minimum, 12, in January. At Fort William the number 

 for the year was 1,179 hours, or 377 in excess of the number registered 

 on the top ; a diSerence above the average. The greatest number was 

 178 hours in April, and the least 19 hours in Decemljer. 



Since, at the top of Ben Nevis, the horizon is virtually clear all round, 

 the total possible hours of sunshine agree with the theoretic number for 

 the latitude. But at Fort William, owing to the surrounding hills, the 

 theoretic number differs widely from the actual number possible to be 

 observed. During the last three years Mr. Omoud has observed the actual 

 intervals between sunrise and sunset at the lower station with the 

 following result : — 



Thus the summit station has 984 hours more possible sunshine than the 

 low level : while 34 per cent, of the possible sunshine was registered by 

 the sunshine-recorder at Fort William, 18 per cent, was registered at 

 the top of Ben Nevis, or about half the per cent, recorded near sea-level 

 at Fort William. 



Table III. — Eygrometric headings for each Month. 



Of these relative humidities the lowest, 7, occurred at 3 p.m. of De- 

 cember 24, and from 3 a.m. of the 24th to 10 a.m. of the 28th of that month 

 the humidity did not exceed 20. At the time of lowest humidity the 

 calculated dew-point fell to — 27°'8. Each mouth, from December to 

 May, the dew-point fell below the zero of Fahrenheit's scale. 



The rainfall for the year was 150'90 inches, being 27'12 inches less than 

 in 1891, and 47*44 inches less than in 1890. At Fort William the amount 

 was 73-28 inches, or less than half of what fell at the top of the Ben. These 

 amounts are in each case very near their averages. Mr. Omond has com- 



